


For the love of Family

by yikes_my_face



Category: Merlin (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:06:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3379250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yikes_my_face/pseuds/yikes_my_face
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hunith becomes extremely ill, Merlin is called back home to care for his younger brother Alec.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arriving in Ealdor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! The_Last_Dragonlord here! Just some notes of reference. In this story, let's just say that Arthur, Morgana, and Gwen know about Merlin's magic. Also, we're going to pretend that episode 1x10 didn't happen, so Will is still alive, as well as Kanen. This will be multiple chapters, but I'm not sure how many yet. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy!

Merlin and Arthur rode in to Ealdor exactly two days after the warlock received the news of his mother's illness. Arthur had told his father he would be on an extended hunting trip to avoid suspicion of his leaving. The two had been in a closeted relationship for many months now, and they intended to keep it that way until Arthur took the throne.

Merlin clutched the letter tightly in his hand the whole way. It was from his younger brother, Alec. 

 _"Dear Merlin,_ _"_ it read,  _" Please come back home. Mother is very sick and I don't know what to do. Our physician is not in the village and he won't return for many months. Could you please come? Mother and I miss you. Hopefully see you soon. - Alec"_

As soon as the two entered the village, a young boy with brown-blond hair came running up to them. "Merlin!" 

Merlin got off of his horse and hugged the boy close to him. "Hello Alec." 

Alec then noticed Arthur. The boy became suddenly shy. "Merlin? Who's that?" He whispered to his older brother. 

The two men chuckled. "I'm Arthur." the Prince spoke. 

Alec's eyes went wide. "As in  _Prince_ Arthur? Of Camelot?" 

Merlin shook his head at his brother's antics. "Yes, Alec. As in Prince Arthur of Camelot. Now, let's go see Mother, shall we?" 

Alec nodded and ran to one of the small homes.

"Mother," he whispered, "Merlin's home." 

"Merlin?" Hunith whispered softly. 

Merlin crouched by her bedside. "I'm here Mother." He placed the back his hand on her forehead. She was too warm for his liking. 

"Arthur, can you get fresh water from outside?" Merlin asked. He nodded and grabbed a bucket off of the counter. 

"Alec, get me a wash cloth, would you?" The warlock spoke. The boy did as he was told. 

"Will Mother be alright?" Merlin looked into his brother's light blue eyes. 

"I don't know Alec. I'm going to do all that I can. I'll have someone bring a letter to Gaius if things get worse, alright?" Merlin said, hoping he sounded convincing enough. 

After Arthur brought in the water, Merlin pressed a damp cloth to Hunith's forehead, praying that she would be alright, for Alec's sake, and his own.  


	2. Promises and Journey's Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hunith's condition becomes worse, Merlin and Arthur fear for the worst whilst trying to make sure Alec is alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thanks to everyone who left kudos to the last chapter! It's nice to know people like the story so far. Anyway, here is the next chapter! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: There is a slight allusion to rape due to the matter of Alec's parentage. If you are sensitive to this subject, I suggest that you either skip over that part, or skip the chapter if you want. (It's literally only a few sentences so don't worry about it being the whole chapter. :3) 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: If I owned Merlin, I would be writing season six right now, not fanfiction XD

The next morning, Arthur woke to find Merlin still tending to his mother, looking extremely tired and frustrated. The Prince placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

"How is she?" Arthur asked softly. Merlin rubbed his hands over his face. 

"I'm doing all I can. Even my magic can't help. I'm not sure how long she has." The young warlock said remorsefully. 

Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug. "I'm so sorry." 

A little while later, Merlin woke Alec. "Alec, c'mon. It's time to get up." 

"Not yet, please?" the eleven year old mumbled into his pillow. 

"Sorry." Merlin tried to sound as cheerful as he could. He wasn't very convincing. The older brother pulled the blanket off of Alec, much to the child's annoyance. 

" _Mer_ lin." Alec complained. Merlin smiled. 

"You know, you sound exactly like Arthur when he has to get up in the morning." Merlin said. Arthur looked offended. 

"Do not!" he retorted. 

"Mmm, think you do." 

"Shut up." 

"Clotpole." 

"Idiot." 

Alec giggled at the banter. He then looked over to his mother's bed. 

"Is Mother going to be alright?" the child asked. 

Merlin thought how to put his words carefully. "Alec, I wouldn't get your hopes up. She's not well." 

Alec furrowed his brow. "Can't your magic make her better?" 

Merlin sighed. "Alec, I've done all I can. All we can do now is hope." He turned back to his mother. "Go get dressed. There's work to do." 

````(Line Break)```` 

While Alec was outside helping out around the village and Arthur making sure the horses were fed and watered, Merlin was distracting himself by doing things around his childhood home. As he was finishing rolling up blankets, he heard his mother's frail voice whisper for him. 

He rushed to her bedside. "Mother, you should be resting. You're not well." 

Hunith shook her head. "Merlin, I've not much time left. I can feel myself fading." 

Merlin shook his head. "No. We're going to make you well again. You're going to live Mother. Don't give up. Alec and I need you." 

Hunith smiled softly. "You've grown up so much Merlin. I need you to promise me that you'll look after Alec when I'm gone. Take him back to Camelot, care for him. I know you'll do fine." 

Merlin spoke with a shaky voice. "I p-promise Mother." he held her hand as a tear rolled down his face. "Please don't go." 

"I do love you my boy, and I will always be with you. Both you and Alec. Always." Hunith closed her eyes and fell back into sleep. 

Not half an hour later, Hunith passed. Alec pressed himself into Merlin's embrace, tears flowing. Arthur stood behind Merlin, rubbing his hand on his lover's shoulder in a comforting manner. Merlin held back his tears. He had to stay strong for Alec. The time for crying would have to wait for him. 

After packing up the few precious belongings they had in their childhood home, the three set off for Camelot. 

````(Line Break)```` 

That night, they camped in the woods. They were about half way to Camelot. Alec slept while Arthur and Merlin stayed close to the fire. 

"Alec is my half-brother by blood. When I was eight, bandits took my mother. She was returned, but they had... You know..." Merlin said. Arthur nodded. 

"But Mother always said that it isn't the child's blood that matters, but how the child is raised." Merlin smiled. 

"And what of your father?" Arthur questioned. 

Merlin looked at the ground. "He had to leave before I was born. According to my mother, he had to. He was accused of a crime he didn't commit apparently. They found out where he was hiding in Ealdor, and he had to flee. He didn't return." 

Arthur kissed Merlin's forehead. "I'm sure he's a good man." Merlin chuckled. "I certainly hope so."

Eventually sleep grasped the two, and they stayed asleep until morning. 

````(Line Break)```` 

As Arthur rode in front of Alec and Merlin, the older brother whispered to Alec, "Remember. No one can know about my magic. It's a secret between you, Arthur, Gaius, and me. Alright?" The young boy nodded. 

And with that, they rode through the gate to the main city of Camelot.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, wasn't that depressing? Sorry for anyone who wanted Hunith to survive. I feel bad killing her so quickly, but it needed to happen for plot reasons. 
> 
> I hope you stay tuned for the story!
> 
> Thank you again for reading! I appreciate advice so feel free to comment/review. Until next time, this is The_Last_Dragonlord, signing off.


	3. Welcome to Camelot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the three arrive in Camelot, Alec is introduced to friends, old and new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, my lateness is unacceptable. I'm in the school play and I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write a decent chapter. There have been a few attempts, but this one is going up because I feel bad for making you guys wait so long. Sorry in advance if it seems a bit short - I'm writing this between homework assignments.

As Arthur, Merlin, and Alec rode through Camelot's gates, the youngest looked at his surroundings in amazement. He took in the sights of the citizens hurrying about, children playing together and running about. Merlin watched his little brother in amusement. 

"What do you think Alec?" Arthur asked with a smile. 

Alec stared at the prince with wide, curious eyes. "It's amazing!" 

The three stopped and dismounted when they were close to Gaius' chambers. While Arthur took the horses back to the stable, Merlin and Alec made their way into the physician's home. Gaius looked at the tired expression on his ward's face and then at the younger boy. 

"Hello Gaius. You remember Alec, don't you?" Merlin said a cheerfully as he could. 

Gaius gave the boys a smile. "Of course. I didn't expect you back so soon Merlin, especially with a guest. How is Hunith fairing?" 

Merlin turned sober and Alec hid his face in his brother's side. 

"Gaius," Merlin choked out, his throat closing. "Mother passed away yesterday morning." 

"Dear Gods," Gaius breathed out, his heart sinking. Alec clung to his brother tighter as tears began to fall from the child's eyes. 

Merlin rubbed his brother's back gently and looked to Gaius with an expression that clearly said,  _"I don't know what to do."_  

The elderly physician gathered the boys into an embrace. A small sob escaped from Alec's mouth and Merlin's eyes had betrayed him by letting the tears he'd been trying so hard to suppress began to slide down his cheeks.

"I miss Mother." Alec whispered.

"I know." was all Merlin could say in reply.

Gaius slowly released the two. "Why don't you both go up to your room, Merlin. It's been a trying few days, I'm sure."

Merlin nodded and guided Alec up the stairs. He led his brother into his room and closed the door behind them. Gaius sighed and sat down.

"Oh Hunith," he said softly. "What am I to do with your boys?"

\----(Line Break)----

 The next morning, Merlin woke up at dawn and found his little brother still curled up in his embrace. He slowly pulled away as to not wake Alec up. He quietly left his bedroom and sat down at the table where Gaius was reading. 

"You're up early." Gaius commented. 

Merlin shrugged. " Couldn't sleep." 

"How are you Merlin? I want the truth though." the physician said. 

Merlin sighed. "I don't really know. In my heart, I don't want to believe she's gone, but I know in my head that she is. All i know is that right now, Alec comes before anything else." 

Gaius raised his eyebrow. "Even Arthur?" 

Merlin nodded after a moment. "Yes. Even Arthur." 

The two sat in silence for a while until Merlin heard Alec calling for him. He stood up and made his way to his brother. 

"Good morning." Merlin said softly. Alec smiled slightly in return. 

"What are we going to do today?" the boy questioned. 

Merlin thought for a moment. "Well, you could either stay here with Gaius, or you could come with me today." 

Alec thought for a minute. "What are you going to do today?" 

The warlock sighed. "I'm Arthur's servant, so if you're going to come with me, you best get dressed."  

Alec jumped out of bed and ran over to his bag. Merlin laughed. 

"I'll wait for you outside." he told Alec. 

\----(Line Break)---- 

A little while later, after a quick breakfast from Gaius, Merlin and Alec were on their way to Arthur's chambers. When they arrived, Merlin hadn't expected to find Arthur already dressed. 

He also didn't expect to see Uther Pendragon there either. 

"My Lord," he bowed, nudging Alec to do the same. 

"Ah, Merlin." Arthur said. "My Father was just leaving." 

Uther looked at Alec. "I'm afraid I don't recognize you." 

Alec swallowed. "M-my name is A-alec, My Lord." 

Merlin placed a hand on Alec's shoulder. "Alec is my brother. Our Mother recently has passed and I thought that it would be alright if he accompanied me this morning. My apologies Sire." 

Arthur cut in. "That's perfectly alright. Excuse me Father." 

Alec's gaze briefly met the King's stare before he quickly looked back down. The King then left, leaving the three alone. 

"What was that all about?" Merlin questioned as he began to make Arthur's bed. 

Arthur sighed. "He wants me to marry a princess in a neighboring kingdom. I told him no. He's not very happy with my answer." 

Merlin hummed and continued on with his work. Arthur turned to Alec. 

"How was your first night in Camelot?" he questioned, considerably more happy than before. Alec shrugged. 

"It was alright. Strange, though. I'm not used to the fact that I'm not in Ealdor anymore." 

There was little conversation for a little while more before Merlin and Alec had to go tend to some other chores. 

What Alec didn't see was Merlin giving Arthur a quick peck on the cheek before departing. 

\----(Line Break)---- 

"Merlin!" a voice called from behind them. Alec and Merlin turned around to see Guinevere and Morgana. 

"Hello Gwen, Morgana." Merlin greeted. He turned to his brother. "Alec, this is Gwen, and this is The Lady Morgana. Gwen, Morgana, this is my little brother Alec." 

After introductions, Merlin and Alec's day went smoothly. In the evening they retired to the bedroom they now shared early and fell asleep quickly. Soon enough though, Merlin was awakened by a voice calling to him. 

" _Merlin_." The Great Dragon called to him. " _Merlin, I know you can hear me. Bring your brother, Young Warlock. I would like to meet him._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I'll be able to update soon! Thanks again for reading! - The_Last_Dragonlord


	4. The Not-So-Great Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin hesitantly brings his brother to meet Kilgarrah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! I'm sorry, I know, another unacceptable long wait. I apologize. I won't keep you long here, but there will be more notes at the end. I hope you enjoy!

It had been almost a week since The Great Dragon had first made his request. Merlin wasn't a fan of the idea of bringing the eleven year old to meet the seemingly timeless creature. He worried why the dragon wanted to meet Alec so badly. He ignored The Great Dragon's calls for the past few nights, not responding. Eventually, he decided to give in, knowing that the dragon wouldn't stop until he was granted his request. 

In the middle of the night, Merlin quietly awoke his brother. "Alec. Wake up." 

Alec sat up slowly and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Merlin? It's the middle of the night." the boy said tiredly. 

"I know. I'm sorry." Merlin apologized. "But there's someone I'd like you to meet." 

Alec was soon ready to go and the two quietly slunk out of Gaius' home. 

"We need to be very quiet now." Merlin instructed, watching with careful eyes in case a guard was coming. 

Once the two had arrived at the entrance of the stairs that led to the cave, Merlin used magic to distract the to guards on duty. Once they were gone, Alec looked unimpressed. 

"They really are rather thick, aren't they?" the boy said. Merlin laughed quietly. "I know."

They soon arrived in the cave. Kilgarrah was already there waiting.

"Ahh. Young Warlock, I was beginning to question if you would ever come." 

Merlin didn't respond to the dragon's remark. "This is Alec, my younger brother."

Alec was in shock. _A real dragon? Here in Camelot?_  

The dragon studied the boy. "Yes, so it seems." he said quietly. The dragon then laughed softly to himself.

"What's so funny?" Alec asked without thinking.

The dragon smiled slightly, almost smirk-like. "It's just interesting. The two Bastard brothers, standing here side by side."

Merlin glared. "Don't use that term to define Alec ever again. I won't ask twice."

"I apologize." Kilgarrah said, not sounding apologetic at all.

Soon enough, Merlin announced that it was time for the two to depart.

Just before they got to the stairs, the Great Dragon called to him. "Young Warlock! I hope you know that your... Interactions... with the Once and Future King are not as destiny has laid for you."

Alec wasn't sure if he had heard correctly, but he was pretty sure that Merlin had mumbled "Well, screw destiny then," under his breath.

````(Chapter End)```` 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that was so short. I felt like you guys needed some sort of update to know that this story was still alive. I do want your input though. What do you guys want to see in this story? Give me some ideas and I'll try to throw them in! -The_Last_Dragonlord


	5. IMPORTANT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is important. Please read.

Hello there lovelies! The_Last_Dragonlord here! I sincerely apologize for my absence. I'd like to give you all a proper explanation.

For almost a month now, I've had severe side pains and hip pain. I've been out of school for this whole time and it's really not helping my depression and anxiety that I have to deal with on top of it all. It's not Lyme, or any other tick born disease. I've had several blood tests, MRI's, CAT or CT scans, X-Ray's, ect., that have all come back normal. We still don't know what's wrong.

I feel so bad for leaving you all off like this. I've enlisted the help of my good friend apple_of_my_eye to help me out with keeping updates hopefully more frequent until my health issue is resolved. Please don't be hard on her. I'm sure she'll do her best to help me out.

Thank you all so much for understanding. One of us will (hopefully) have a new chapter up soon. I love you all. Please enjoy the story! If you have any questions and/or concerns, leave them in the comments and either myself or apple_of_my_eye will answer them. Again, I thank you for your support and understanding!


	6. NEXT UPDATE: THE STORY WILL CONTINUE!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important notice from me and apple_of_my_eye

Hello there everyone! The_Last_Dragonlord here! I apologize again for the long wait for the next chapter. I was diagnosed close to the end of last month with Amplified Pain Syndrome (APS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) 

No, I am not dying. I need to increase water, increase sodium, and take a few different medications. I went back to school at the end of last month as well and just got out on Thursday the 18th. Apple_of_my_eye doesn't get out until the middle of next week. Since we both have been busy with Finals and other school related issues, that is why a new chapter has not been posted. 

Anyway, I wanted to announce that I will have a new chapter posted sometime next week. Apple_of_my_eye might be coming over as well so if she does it may be written by the both of us together.  

Again, we thank you for your patience and can't wait to get back into writing this story. Thank you everyone!

 


	7. Mordred (Pt.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec doesn't like Mordred one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long.

It had been a day or two since they met Mordred, and Alec decided he didn't like him one bit. 

Since Merlin had protected Mordred from the guards and was keeping him in Morgana's chambers, Alec had been acting funny. It didn't take Merlin long to realize that there was something wrong with his younger brother. Arthur himself had noticed the change in the young boy and was confused as to why. He didn't know about Mordred yet, and Merlin intended to keep it that way. He didn't want to drag Arthur into the mess he'd gotten himself and others into. 

"What's wrong with Alec, Merlin?" Arthur asked one morning while Merlin was giving him a bath. 

"He must be coming down with something." Merlin replied, hoping Arthur wouldn't see through his fib. 

"Merlin, you are the worst liar I know." Arthur sighed. He paused for a moment and then sighed. "What have you two done this time?" 

"Nothing, sire." Merlin tried to brush off. 

" _Mer_ -lin." Arthur spoe sternly. 

"I don't know what's wrong with Alec! Honestly!" Merlin snapped. 

"No need to get snippy, Merlin. I'm just as confused as you are. Morgana and I aren't as close as you two, so I figured you would know, since you have that bond with him. But I can't help you figure out what's wrong unless you talk to me. You haven't exactly been yourself either." Merlin began to dress Arthur.

Merlin was silent before mumbling quickly. 

"What was that?" 

"ImightbehidingthedruidboyinMorgana'schambers." 

Arthur's eyes flashed dangerously. "Say that again?" 

"I'm... hiding... the druid boy... in Morgana's chambers..."

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted. 

"Please, keep your voice down." Merlin pleaded. 

"This is the same druid boy who's father was executed." 

"Yes." 

Arthur smacked him upside the head. "Do you realize how foolish this is of you?! You could get banished, or worse, executed!" 

"I know, Arthur, but I couldn't just let him be killed! He's just a child!" 

The prince sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. 

"Who knows about him." 

"Morgana, Gwen, Alec, and me. I think Gaius may be suspicious though." 

"He needs to be taken away from Camelot." 

Merlin shook his head. "He's sick and scared. He hasn't spoken a word other than his name." 

A thought passed through Arthur's head. "Merlin?" 

"Yes?" 

"Do you think that Alec may be jealous of Mordred?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! We know this took forever.


	8. Yet another Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Notice from me and apple_of_my_eye.

Hey guys, so apple_of_my_eye and I have dicussed it, and we've come to the agreement that we're going to abandon the story/put it up for adoption. Neither of us really have any idea's of where to take it, and we haven't added anything to it in a long while. 

Thank you to everyone who has read/left kudos/followed/commented on For the Love of Family. For those who are interested in adopting the story, please either contact me, The_Last_Dragonlord, here, or message me at my tumblr: fandoms-before-bandoms.tumblr.com. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know that was short. Hopefully next time it'll be longer. To sort out any confusion, Alec is eleven in this story, Merlin is eighteen, and Arthur is twenty or twenty-one. Please feel free to comment any suggestions you may have. Thanks for reading! I'll try and have the next chapter up ASAP. Until next time, this is The_Last_Dragonlord, signing off.


End file.
